by Yen Kuen-yang(顏崑陽), writer, professor,president of faculty, University of Tong Hua

Translated by Hu Pin-ching(胡品清), Patricia,trilingual writer,professor of French literature,Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan

I remain convinced that the style of pictorial and calligraphic works corresponds to the nature of the author. Consequently, Hou Ji-liang ressembles his calligraphy: simple and natural. Without keeping aloof from the rules, he creates however very freely. In his calligraphic art, there is harmony between varieties and regularity.

As to his painting, it does not keep away from the rules either. On the other hand, he is a painter crossed with a calligrapher, an engraver of seal characters, a poet and a prose writer. In short, he is a man of letters endowed with a literary and artistic culture at once classical and modern. Such a being does not submit himself to conventional rules nor indulgences in quaintness because of his talent. This is what one calls “like man, like art.”

While resting on traditional rules, Hou Ji-liang pursuits nevertheless unceasingly the possibilities of renovation and tries to create varied experimental works. This attempt manifests itself not only in his modern poems and prose but also in the field of bush, ink and of varied subjects and images.

Although there exists a great deal of traditional “Mountains and waters” in his works, he realizes that those landscapes should not be separated from real life. Therefore, the landscapes in his mind and those in front of his eyes are complementary. From his brush spring his experiences in modern life.

Cultivated and talented, Hou Ji-liang is a very promising calligrapher-painter. In my opinion, if he applies to his painting his esthetic experiences and his image-creating method in his modern poetry with a view to elevating his subjectivity, he will be able to create still more surprising works without keeping aloof from the conventional rules.